Hi Everyone :) Newbie in need of advice please

[Hippeechiq]

Hi Everyone

I'm from Dorset and this is my first year of growing anything

I have a 6'x6'x4' Polyethylene Greenhouse in which I'm growing Shirley Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Aubergine, Chilli Peppers & Sweet Peppers. My lovely Dad bought me 6 plants of each, so it's kind of been a baptism of fire to say the least!

The greenhouse only has a zip up door for ventilation and condensation is a big problem. I've read that prolonged damp in a g/h leads to virus & mould problems, so I open the door every day, for most of the day so it can dry out. Obviously, by doing this, I'm losing heat (of which we've had precious little) but my logic is that cool temperature and heavy condensation is not a good combination, but I'm unsure if I'm doing the right thing? How much condensation is too much?

Also - without fail, every Shirley tomato so far has had cracks in them, and despite much research, it seems many things can be responsible, both under and over watering to name two, so how are you supposed to know? The last 4 weeks in particular my Shirley tomato plant leaves are looking very sick indeed....yellow blotches and curling upwards, and I don't know whether I've underwatered overwatered, underfed, etc., etc, so I'm wondering would it be best to pick the remaining tomatoes and ripen indoors?

My apologies for a long first post, and also if my questions are in the "wrong" place, but I wasn't really sure which section I should ask in

[taff]

hello
if the leaves are yellow, if they're at the bottom of the plant they're probably just old, or they're all over the plant then your plant needs feeding. they'll green up fine after a few days of proper food. Some people [myself included] pull off the leaves up to any trusses with fruit on,to help more light get to the tomatoes to ripen them.
under/over watering is easily overcome [well,sort of]. Push one of your fingers to the first knuckle into the compost, if it's dry, water it, if it's damp it's ok. You should aim to keep them moist all the time, although it does sound as if you've been overwatering...
Feed them at least twice a week at this time of year.
If it's running down the walls, it's too damp.

[Hippeechiq]

Thanks for the reply and welcome Taff

I feed every other watering, and I have been doing the finger up to knuckle test. I'm growing the plants in Te$co wine carriers, with holes cut in the bottom (roughly the equivalent of a builders bucket I'd guess, which I was unable to source cheaply when I was ready to plant on), and use approx 2 pints of water each time I water....I keep reading that it's important to "water deeply" and was kind of hoping that 2 pints was about the right amount, although in reality, have no idea if that's way too much, or not enough.

I removed all leaves up to the first truss about 4 weeks ago (I have nipped out the tops of the plants and 4 trusses per plant) but the remaining leaves, although retaining a lot of green, have varying degrees of mottled yellow(ish) blotches, is the best way I can describe it. Inside the leaves rather than on top if you know what I mean, and moreso on the top third of the plants.

Having scoured G00gle images, it looks very similar to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, and given that my Peppers & Aubergine were plagued with aphids early in the season, am wondering if this is a possibility?

When they become more yellow than green (and sometimes brown) I've been removing them, but there isn't what I consider to be a "healthy" looking leaf on any of the plants, and as mentioned in my first post, are also curling upwards, and I'm afraid it will affect the remaining 40 odd tomatoes left on the vine.

Incidentally, my cherry tomato plants, which were absolutely full of flowers, lost most (as in didn't set) after the first 10 or so tomatoes had been picked, and my Yellow Cherry - after providing a few lovely tomatoes - has since looked quite poorly, and every subsequent tomato has been covered in, flecks of red in the skin....almost like they've been down wind when someone has spray painted

Does anyone have any idea what that might be?

And yes, the condensation does run down the walls, so thanks for confirming that I need to open the door.

[guyforks]

Hello and welcome, it does sound like mosaic virus some chemical sprays are available if you want to use them.DO NOT compost plant material burn it or take it to the tip, it is also a lot of plants for the size of greenhouse which can help to spread pests and disease.

[Hippeechiq]

Hi Guyforks - thanks for the reply & welcome.

I was afraid of that

My whole back garden is laid down to paving slabs, and so my greenhouse sits on top. Despite my best efforts, ants have plagued me throughout the season coming up through the cracks, and could be seen bringing baby aphids onto the actual plants at the beginning of spring.

My Aubergine, Chilli & Sweet Peppers were covered in aphids despite daily inspection and spraying with a mild soap solution, and the leaves on a lot of the plants suffered for it, especially on the underside of the leaf, with a brown etching along the veins, and some stunted growth.

Fearing that they may infect the other plants, I put them all outside on my patio. All rallied, and grew new healthy foliage and I now have an abundance of chilli peppers in particular. The Sweet Peppers are not so successful as, although they have many fruit, most are mishapen, which is obviously an indication of something not being right, even if not as a direct result of any virus.

As they "looked" healthy, I returned them to the g/h assuming they would require the heat due to the poor summer we're having.

I forgot to say, that I gave away 2 of the Cherry Tomato Plants & 2 Shirley, and a couple of others too. So I actually have 4 Shirley, 4 Cherry, 1 Aubergine, 4 Chilli & 4 Sweet Pepper in the greenhouse, and 2 Chilli & Sweet Pepper on the patio simply because there is no room in the g/h. It is, as you quite rightly point out, very full indeed. Although I do my best to ensure none of the leaves on any plants actually touch and that there is space between them for air circulation.

As I mentioned, my Dad bought the plants for me (as a surprise). Next year, I would like to try and grow from seed, but obviously, wont grow as many things inside the g/h.

It's all a learning curve I guess, which is why I have so many questions.

So - does that mean all the plants in the g/h have to be destroyed? Or just the Shirley tomato plants, or will everything be infected?

Can I pick, ripen and eat the remaining tomatoes?

[taff]

see if you can find hessayons vegetable expert in the library, have a look at the tomato section,it's got all the diseases in there, you might find yours [if it is one], don't take them all off yet
Actually, how about some photos?

[guyforks]

Hi Hippeechic, if fruit ok use it but destroy everything when finished as composting will not destroy the virus if sweet peppers are not discoloured they will prob be ok they don't always look like in the shops but taste better and when chopped up who cares what shape they where. As for the ant problem a job for when the greenhouse is empty would be to put it on an impermiable base i have used in the past old waggon curtains which i got for free from a breakers yard as they are a waste product to them, it is a stronger more hardwearing material than you will get from garden centres or d.i.y outlets. ps don't forget to disinfect greenhouse when you remove the plants.

[Florence Fennel]

Nothing to add I'm afraid, but welcome to the Vine. Pop your location into your profile so we don't forget where you are please.

[Hippeechiq]

Thanks again for your replies - and for the welcome Florence Fennel (will attempt to update my profile in a mo)

I had read that I may need to disinfect the g/h after destroying plants (if they have a virus) but thanks for reminding me.

Good idea about laying something over the paving slabs too, although I somehow think they would still get in from outside somehow. It's worth a shot, although it wont be easy, as it's difficult to get any purchase as it is to hold the g/h down with the peg things (forgive the techinical jagon ) provided, so I'm not sure how I would get anything I were to lay over the paving slabs taut enough to prevent it from becoming a tripping hazard from constantly walking in and out of the g/h, let alone stop ants from getting in.

I've posted some photos Taff so you can see what you think.
Pic 1 Tomato Blemishes
Pic 2 Tomato Leaf
Pic 3 Reverse Of Pepper Leaf







Any thoughts?